The Extra Wants Control

Chapter 41 - 41: Battle Royale 5

The air hung heavy with the stench of iron and fear. Neveah, a predator in a den of prey, surveyed the battlefield from atop a crumbling watchtower. The initial chaos had settled, replaced by a tense calm punctuated by the occasional desperate scream. Beneath him, the remaining participants scurried around the shrinking arena like frantic ants. Pathetic.

A cruel smile played on his lips. Gone were the days of toying with beasts and disposing of them with a casual flick of his wrist. No, the true entertainment had only just begun. Tonight, he wasn't just hunting points; he was hunting them. The humans, the elves, the dwarves, the Beastmen, the dragons and the monsters - they were all mere prey in his game, their fear his amusement.

His crimson eyes, imbued with an otherworldly glow, scanned the landscape. Thermal vision, a gift of his vampiric nature, highlighted the telltale heat signatures of living beings. A group of three figures huddled around a flickering campfire, their movements clumsy and hesitant. Perfect.

Neveah descended from the tower with an unnatural grace, his footsteps silent on the dust-covered stones. His movements were cloaked in a shroud of shadows, augmented by the waning sunlight. The campfire cast long, distorted shadows that danced grotesquely as he approached.

The first one to sense his presence was a young elf, her ears twitching nervously. But before she could sound an alarm, a sliver of ice, launched with unnerving precision, pierced her throat. Her eyes widened in silent terror as life drained from her body, leaving behind a lifeless husk that crumpled to the ground.

The other two, a burly human warrior and a dwarf mage, whirled around at the sound of the thud. Their faces contorted in horror as they saw their fallen comrade. Panic surged through them, but Neveah was upon them before they could react.

The human, fueled by desperation, charged with a battle cry, his sword raised high. Neveah sidestepped the clumsy swing with ease, a smirk playing on his lips. He reached out, a single touch sending tendrils of ice crawling up the warrior's arm, freezing him from the inside out.

The man's scream turned into a choked gurgle as he became a living statue of ice before shattering into a million glittering shards.

The dwarven mage, the wiliest of the three, saw his companions' fates unfold and opted for a different tactic. With a desperate incantation, he launched a fireball at Neveah. The flames, fueled by fear, roared towards him.

But Neveah merely raised a hand. With a flick of his wrist, he manipulated the very fabric of gravity around the fireball, bending its trajectory until it harmlessly arced towards the sky, exploding into a shower of embers.

The dwarf, now utterly devoid of hope, sank to his knees, whimpering. "Please," he stammered, his voice raspy with terror. "I… I have little points. I want to get a good rank, just… please let me live."

Neveah regarded him with a cold indifference. "Pleas don't interest me,they disgust me" he said, his voice a chilling whisper. "Fear, however… that is a delicacy I find most… appetizing."

He lunged forward, his vampiric speed a blur. The dwarf, his eyes wide with terror, could only let out a strangled cry before Neveah sank his fangs into his neck. The screams died down as Neveah drained the life force from the gnome, his crimson eyes glowing brighter with each stolen breath.

When he was done, he tossed the desiccated corpse aside like a discarded ragdoll. His crimson gaze swept over the battlefield once more, a predatory glint in his eyes. There were more to hunt. The night was young, and the game had just begun. Neveah wasn't just a participant in this exam, he was the apex predator, and the remaining contestants were his terrified prey.

Axl, the Dragon Blessed, perched atop a rocky outcrop, his crimson wings catching the dying embers of the setting sun. The battlefield stretched before him, a tapestry woven with chaos and desperation. His eyes, glowing with electric blue aura, scanned the landscape,

" Now is a crucial stage, we must continue getting points, not wasting time fighting against that Vampire and getting a low rank. His majesty won't tolerate any shame. For today's battle against that vampire you can redeem yourself as not many watched except for the instructors who can be made to shut up and the racial leaders who are more concerned about this vampire." Said Draven.

Axl remained silent, his jaw clenched. The wind whipped at his face, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning in his eyes. He would get his rematch with Neveah.

"Very well," he finally said, his voice tight. "But after this test and you're done studying him, I want a rematch. And at that time, I won't be needing your intervention."

Draven observed him for a long moment, then nodded. "See that you don't, prince. Let everyone see the true potential of the Dragon Blessed."

Next time, he would crush the vampire with his own bare hands. The vampire would learn the true meaning of a Dragon Blessed's wrath. Axl, fueled by a potent mix of anger and newfound shame, would be relentless. This exam was just the beginning. The true reckoning, the battle to prove his dominance, would happen soon. And when it did, the vampire would pay dearly for the humiliation he'd inflicted.

Without another word, the Draven dragon grabbed Axl by the scruff of his armor and soared into the sky, leaving Neveah behind. Axl cursed under his breath, as they disappeared into the distance.

Neveah rose from the rubble, a dark stain blooming on his chest where the red dragon had struck him. He brushed away the dust, a predatory glint returning to his crimson eyes. The fight with Axl was unfinished, but there would be others.